Statistical Report 1977

For the information of the members of the Church, the First Presidency has issued the following statistical report concerning the growth and status of the Church as of December 31, 1977:

Number of stakes of Zion

885

Number of full-time missions

157

Number of wards

5,917

Number of independent branches in stakes

1,549

Number of mission branches

These statistics reflect an increase of 541 wards and branches during 1977.

1,694

Number of countries with organized wards or branches

54

Total membership reported by stakes, missions, and Church offices at the close of 1977

3,966,000

At the current rate of growth since the end of the year, it is estimated the the Church membership is now in excess of four million.

Children blessed

95,000

Children of record baptized

62,000

Converts baptized

167,939

Birthrate per thousand

31.66

Number of persons married per thousand

13.25

Death rate per thousand

4.14

Deacons

142,000

Teachers

112,000

Priests

201,000

Elders

338,000

Seventies

28,000

High priests

This represents an increase of 45,000 priesthood bearers during 1977.

129,000

Full-time missionaries

25,300

Persons assisted with cash or commodities

99,600

Persons assisted by LDS Social Services

15,000

Persons placed in gainful employment

16,000

Man-days of labor donated to welfare services

427,000

Commodities distributed from storehouses (in pounds)

17,750,000

Names cleared in 1977 for temple ordinances

The Genealogical Department is acquiring records in 36 countries and has a total of 949,000 one-hundred-foot rolls of microfilm, equivalent to 4,517,000 volumes of 300 pages each.

3,374,000

For the living

47,037

For the dead

3,555,118

Temples in operation

14

Temples planned or under construction

6

Temples undergoing remodeling

There were 180,362 more endowments done in 1977 than in 1976, even though two of the temples were not in operation.

2

Seminaries and institutes, including special programs

288,000

Church schools, colleges, and continuing education

74,000

Prominent Members Who Passed Away during the Year

Elder Alma Sonne, member of the First Quorum of the Seventy; Sister Ina J. Ashton Richards, wife of Elder LeGrand Richards of the Council of the Twelve; Sister Jeanne N. Smith, wife of Elder Eldred G. Smith, Patriarch to the Church; President John Harold Mullen of the El Paso Texas Stake; President Ollie Richard Crichton of the Apia Samoa Stake; Dr. Sidney B. Sperry, author and educator; Edward Oliver Anderson, architect of the Los Angeles, London, Swiss, and New Zealand temples; Marriner S. Eccles, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board; and Dr. Florence J. Madsen, composer, educator, and director of all Singing Mothers activities for the Church.